We Are Family
by BatmanSwim2016
Summary: They are family, possibly the greatest the world has ever seen. They argue, they fight, and they get on each other's nerves, but above all else, they love each other. They are the Whitebeards. This is a collection of one-shots of the Whitebeard Pirates, featuring my OC, Aerie. Summaries are given before each story. Rated T to be safe. Previously titled "Remember The Time?"
1. Mother Dear

**Sorry guys! Fanfiction couldn't locate this story so I had to republish it!**

**Title: Mother Dear**

**Genre: Family**

**Summary: Aerie gets fed up with Marco's attitude, so she retaliates the only way she can: excessive name-calling.**

* * *

It was a normal day on the _Moby Dick_ for Tanaka Aerie. She was busy training with Marco, like she did every day. She wasn't quite sure why, but he insisted they "train" together every afternoon, even though she had proven time and time again she could handle herself in a fight. Though, really, if she had to be honest, they never really trained, it was more like, Marco-make-fun-of-Aerie-as-she-tries-to-land-a-solid-hit-on-him time. On that particular day, he chose sword fighting to be the subject of their "lesson".

"You're not swinging your arm at the right angle, yoi," the First Division commander said in an exasperated tone while lowering his own sword.

At this point in time, Aerie had been fighting him for almost an hour. She was tired, bruised, sweaty, and had been hearing him gave the same piece of advice countless times. Thus, she muttered the first thing that came to her mind as a retort: "Sorry, mom."

Marco stared at her with a bewildered expression on his face, like he couldn't believe she said that. To be honest, he had expected her usual grumbling about being tired, but this insult was new to the Phoenix-man. "M-m-mom?" He sputtered. "I am not your mother!"

The words were already out, and Aerie couldn't take them back. Not that she wanted to. Marco's expression was priceless: his eyes were wide open as was his mouth, and his face was ever so slightly turning red. It was nice seeing him get flustered at what she said for a change. So, Aerie decided to stick with the taunting. "Yeah, well you sure act like one. You're always badgering me about being careful and how I behave. You might as well change your gender and adopt me now."

Marco's face turned even more red. "That's ridiculous, yoi."

"I'm pretty sure you're old enough to be my mother, too."

"I'm barely a year older than you are!"

"Do you prefer mama or mommy? Or perhaps just mother?"

"What are you two arguing about this time?" This was Izo, standing a few feet away with his arms crossed. "Honestly, could you be any less mature?"

Marco regained a little bit of his composure. "It's nothing, Izo. Aerie seems to think it's appropriate to label me as her mother."

Izo looked back and forth between the two; first at Aerie, then at Marco, Aerie, then Marco again. Finally he deadpanned, "I can see it."

"What?! I do not act like her mother!"

Izo turned to Aerie. "Why does he overreact like this?"

"I don't know, maybe it's what happens when you become a parent?" She replied with a shrug.

"OI!" Marco's cheeks were crimson with anger and embarrassment.

"What's goin' on?" Asked Eliza as she and Thatch walked up to the group.

"I declared Marco as my mother," Aerie answered.

Eliza and Thatch looked at her, then at Marco. At the same time, they nodded and said, "Yeah, I can see it."

"I'm not her mother!"

"You think it's his bird instincts that are kickin' in?" Eliza mused, totally ignoring the flustered commander.

"Probably," agreed Thatch. "Honestly, though, he's been kind of like a mother hen around all of us, hasn't he?"

"Will you guys please stop? It's seriously getting old." Marco gritted out.

"Yes, mother," all four pirates answered.


	2. Matchmaker

**I finally decided to update this story, haha. I also changed the title and the summary!**

**Title: Matchmaker**

**Genre: Humor/Romance(ish)**

**Summary: What could possibly go wrong when Thatch and Vista decide to play matchmaker?**

* * *

Thatch like to think of himself as an expert on all things dealing with the heart. He could tell just by gazing deep into someone's eyes what they were truly feeling. The eyes were the window to the soul, and he had seen many things in the eyes of many people.

Which is why he was convinced Marco and Aerie were in love. The way they interacted was so unique, filled with insults and withering remarks, and he was sure of what they felt for each other.

He first noticed, or began noticing, when Marco and Aerie first started training on the deck in the day rather than in the room for which it was built, as their sparring and other activities became too destructive to remain inside.

It was on such a day he decided he would do something about it. The two were squared off on deck, ready to begin their sparring match that would mean the end of the training session. He was sitting with Eliza as the two lunged forward, each trying to gain the advantage over the other.

He sighed contentedly. "Just look at them, Eliza," he said, gesturing to their friends fighting on the deck. "Isn't that just the sweetest thing you've ever seen? Two young people fighting in a way to show their affection?"

Eliza raised an eyebrow and looked down at the pair. Marco had apparently said something Eliza missed, but it made Aerie yell something back at him in irritation. She snorted. "I suppose, if that's what you call 'affection', though I've seen more effective methods of courting."

Thatch suddenly smacked his fist down onto his flattened palm. "We've got to do something about this, Eliza! Without our help, their true feelings may never blossom!" He exclaimed boldly.

Eliza whipped her head around to gape at him. "Wait, yer serious? There's no way they would have those feelings for each other. I mean, have you honestly been watchin' them, lad?"

"I've never been more serious," Thatch nodded. "It's something we must do as their friends and their family."

"Don't involve me! I don't want anythin' to do with this!"

Thatch crossed his arms and huffed. "Fine, spoil sport. I'll just find someone else to help, then. I'm sure somebody sees what I'm seeing."

~...~

The search to find a matchmaking partner proved to be harder than Thatch originally thought. Izo flat-out refused, Jozu stared at him silently, and Namur just walked away without another word. Even Whitebeard said no. However, Thatch soon found a suitable partner in the Fifth Division commander, Vista. The tall swordsman pondered his request while stroking his magnificent mustache, before grinning and agreeing to help. Now that that was over, the two had to come up with a foolproof plan to push the lovebirds together. It took a couple of hours of hard thinking on both men's parts, but they eventually came up with a plan.

It started the next morning, with Aerie waking up to find a folded note on the bedside with her name beautifully written on the front. She opened it, assuming it was from Eliza. She was surprised to find, thought, that it was a love note. It read:

_My dearest Aerie,_

_The apple of my eye, the shining star of my universe, the ground beneath my feet. All of these phrases and many more cannot even scrape the surface of how much I love you. I have admired you from afar and from up close for many a days, but have been too shy to tell you how I feel. I want you to meet me on the edge of the cliffs on the next island we dock at seven p.m. so we may discuss the possibility of the future of us._

_Your Secret Admirer_

Aerie had to read the note several times to make sure her eyes weren't playing a trick on her. It was written with a thin spidery script, and the paper was of the heavy, expensive kind. She turned it over to see if the note continued, but it did not. She read it one more time before she neatly folded it and...

...threw it in the wastebasket beside her bed.

_Give me a break_, she thought crossly. _I don't have time for this crap. I'd bet anything this was Thatch or Marco trying to screw with me._ She left her shared cabin and headed in the direction of the stairs that led to the deck.

Thatch and Vista hurried into her room as soon as she was up the stairs. They searched everywhere in the room for the note, looking under pillows, in the chest at the foot of her bed, and even in the bedside drawer itself. They were both very discouraged to find it in the wastebasket.

"That's okay!" Thatch said determinedly. "We'll just move on to Phase Two of Operation Hook Up Marco and Aerie!"

~...~

Phase Two turned out to be as much of a failure as Phase One had. This time, they tried to confront Marco about his supposed feelings for the ship's resident artist. They cornered him in the dining hall after everyone, including Aerie, had departed from breakfast.

Marco looked between his fellow commanders in confusion laced with mild irritation. "What's going on here, yoi?" He asked.

Thatch shook his head. "Marco, Marco, Marco," he said. "Marco, Marco, Marco, Marco."

"Why do you keep saying my name? Just get it over with!" A vein appeared on the Phoenix's forehead.

"You know why we're here," Thatch sighed dramatically.

"No, I don't. Please enlighten me."

"We're here to talk about Aerie," Vista explained while stroking his mustache.

Irritation turned into confusion on Marco's face. "Eh? Why would we talk about her, yoi?"

"We've got some very interesting information for you, bird-brain. It seems Aerie has got herself a secret admirer." Thatch said with a nod.

Marco's face went back to it's usual, lazy expression. "Good for her. So what?"

Thatch sighed again and turned to Vista. "I think he's in denial. What about you?"

"Denial? Why would I be in denial?"

Vista sighed as well. "Definitely denial, Thatch." He said solemnly.

"You have two seconds to tell me what's going on before I plant your heads in the wall, yoi."

"Well," Thatch said, speaking as though he would to a small child. "I overheard her saying she was interested in this admirer."

Marco sighed impatiently and crossed his arms. "Still not seeing what the big deal is, Thatch."

"If she's with someone else, how can she be with you?" Vista asked.

Marco's jaw dropped. Is that what they've been trying to say? The large swordsman mistook his shock for depression and he patted his arm sympathetically.

"I know, it's horrible!" Thatch cried, throwing an arm over his eyes. "Poor Marco! His true love shall never know the feelings he harbors for her!"

"So tragic!" Vista added, also throwing his arm in front of his eye. All Marco could do was stare at his fellow commanders and wonder if they had gone insane.

"I don't-"

"There's still time, Marco!" Thatch said, taking his hand. Marco pulled it back. "She said she would meet him tomorrow at seven! You can confess to her before then-"

Thatch was cut off by Marco grabbing his head and slamming it into the floor. He did the same with Vista, before stalking out of the dining hall, muttering, "Idiots."

~...~

Training that afternoon was somewhat tense. Aerie was still upset over the note she found and not being able to track down the source, and Marco was still livid with his brothers. Their moves were choppy and aggressive as they sparred, both causing more damage than intended. One particular blow from Marco's foot went to Aerie's side, which was still sensitive from the wound caused by the Machinist. She gasped in pain and fell to the floor of the training room.

Marco knelt beside her as soon as she hit the ground. "Are you all right, yoi?" He asked, actually concerned.

"Fine," she grunted. She accepted the hand he held out, and he pulled her to her feet.

"Sorry about that," he said. "May I-?" Aerie nodded and lifted the corner of her shirt for him to asses the damage. There was a footprint on her side, covering the scar that used to be an open wound. He brushed his fingers against the skin below her ribs, determining the mark would turn into a bruise. As his fingers lingered, the conversation he had with Thatch and Vista this afternoon returned to him, making him scowl and pull his hand away.

Aerie watched his expression change from concern to anger as his hand moved away from her side. She lowered her shirt as he took a step back to glare at the wall, his cheeks slightly flushed. "What's wrong? You seem angry."

Marco grunted. "It's nothing, yoi. Just something Thatch and Vista said earlier."

"What happened?" She asked as she tilted her head.

"They were talking about something stupid. It was along the lines of, 'Aerie's getting a boyfriend, and it isn't you'."

Aerie cocked an eyebrow. "Where on earth did they hear about that?"

Marco shrugged, still not meeting her gaze. "Dunno. They were talking about a love note from an admirer-"

"Hold on, a note?" Her gaze narrowed. "How could they have known about that I threw it..." Her eyes widened in realization. "Thatch. I'm going to kill that stupid, pompadoured-"

"What are you talking about, yoi?" It was now Marco's turn to be confused.

"I found a note this morning in my cabin from a 'secret admirer' wanting to meet me tomorrow night. I threw it in the trash." She frowned. "At first I thought it was you messing with me, but now I know it's obviously Thatch."

"That-" Marco said a word Aerie had never heard before. "I knew he and Vista were messing with me, telling me that load of crap about my supposed feelings."

"Feelings? For...me?" Her cheeks reddened. "What did you say to them?"

"Told them they were being stupid and smashed their heads into the floor." He shrugged.

Aerie chuckled. "Wish I could have seen that. So, are we good?" She held out her hand.

Marco shook it. "Yeah, we're cool, yoi." His smile took a slightly sinister tone as he leaned forward. "I think I have an idea for what we can do to get back at them, too." She leaned in to hear his whispered plan. An equally sinister smile stretched across her face and she giggled maliciously.

"Let's do it," she snickered.

~...~

No one was entirely sure who put make up on the Fourth and Fifth Division commanders' faces, but Thatch knew for certain it was a certain pair of bird-brains currently in the training room, laughing their butts off as they looked at the pictures Aerie had taken with her camera.

* * *

**What did you think? Review, follow, and favorite, please!**

**~Batman**


	3. Miss You

**Title: Miss You**

**Genre: Angst**

**Summary: Izo goes to visit some old friends.**

* * *

On an unnamed island in Paradise, there was a path leading to the top of a hill. The hill itself was magnificent and very large. From the top, one could view the entire island.

It was up this hill that Izo now trekked, carefully making his way up the steep incline. It had rained on the island recently, the ground slushy and muddy and ruining Izo's nice shoes. Nevertheless, he walked on until he reached the top. In his arms were two bouquets of white and orange flowers, along with a bottle of the finest of sakes.

When he reached the top of the hill, he paused for a moment to view the path he had recently climbed. He could see in all directions, even down to the shore where he had left his small boat. Far away on the horizon was a large ship, a ship that he had just departed from earlier that morning. He smiled to himself and turned around.

Bowing first to show respect, he placed the two bouquets and the sake at the base of the two objects in front of him. He crossed his legs and sat down in front of them, sitting straight and not speaking a word.

Finally, he said, "Sorry I haven't been up here lately. We've been pretty busy."

He was met with silence, but he didn't stop. "You both look well," he commented. "Well, you know, same as the last time I was here."

He looked at the larger of the two. "We're all doing fine," he assured it. "We got caught up over in the New World, which is why I didn't come earlier."

More silence. "Marco's a fine captain," he noted. "He knows what he's doing when it comes to leading others. He said he wished he could've come, but he didn't want to leave the crew." He explained further by adding, "Some Marines attacked us a couple days ago. A few of the weaker members got injured. He wanted to stay to make sure they were doing alright. He promises to come when he can, though.

"He's got a big heart, that one," Izo murmured quietly. "He still has us go to help any of the islands that still fly our flag when they need us. He'll do anything for them. It's a miracle he hasn't gone insane yet. I know I couldn't do it. Lead the crew, I mean. He's just a natural born leader.

The object didn't react. "I wonder if it's Aerie who's been keeping him sane for all this time," he mused. "She's training the younger members and organizing what's left of the Divisions. Without her, I wonder if he could make it through the day." He chuckled. "Of course, they still argue like an old married couple, so not a lot has changed."

He sighed contentedly. "I think she's thrown away the mask and cape for good this time. Says in the end, she thought it did more harm than good. She didn't want to hide anymore, either, I think."

Izo turned to the smaller object. "Your little brother's doing well," he said. He pulled out a newspaper clipping featuring a picture of a raven-haired young man, grinning at the camera without a care in the world. "You might not believe it, but he did it. Found the One Piece and became King of the Pirates. He and his crew are on their way here now to see you."

Nothing. "Put the world in a spin. Not a lot of people though he could actually do it. But he did, so that's that." He paused, then pulled out another clipping in excitement. "Oh, I almost forgot! The Government's in shambles right now. Seems the Revolutionaries finally succeeded. Though, it hasn't stopped those still loyal to the Government trying to get rid of Dragon and returning everything it the way it was. He came to the ship a while back. Thanked us for helping you and your brother out during the War. His wife came, too, so she and Aerie had the chance to catch up for a bit.

"Your grandfather visited as well. Thanked us for watching out for your irresponsible ass for so long." Izo laughed. "He was disappointed to have missed Dragon though. Hasn't seen him in a while apparently. Go figure."

Not a sound came from either of the objects. But then again, they had been silenced long ago. They had stopped responding to Izo and the others for a while, but that didn't stop him from talking. He sat in silence for another long minute before quietly adding, "We miss you, you know. Both of you." After another long moment, he stood up and walked back down the path he had traveled, leaving behind the giant white memorials dedicated to Edward Newgate and Portgas D. Ace.

* * *

**XxFire-PhoenixxX: Maybe later ;)**

**Savage Kill: Thanks!**

**Yeah, I know...I'm a horrible person. But this one's been rambling around in my head for a while now, and I was just able to write it this morning. Favorite! Follow! Review! (Please!)**

**~Batman**


	4. Nice to Meet You!

**Title: Nice to Meet You!**

**Genre: Friendship**

**Summary: Ace makes a new friend.**

* * *

Portgas D. Ace leaned grumpily against the railing of the _Moby Dick_, arms wrapped around his legs. Another one of his attempts to take Whitebeard's life had failed, resulting in him being thrown though the wall of the giant man's cabin again. As always, he awoke in the infirmary of the massive ship, patched up and ready to go and try again. The nice, redheaded nurse had been there this time, giving him that look of compassion that made his insides twist with disgust. He didn't deserve her compassion or pity, nor did he deserve it from anyone on the crew. He deserved their anger and their loathing for what he tried to do time and time again to their captain. He deserved to be locked up in the brig of the ship, not allowed to walk wherever he pleased.

Despite the fact he deserved these and even more, the only thing the Whitebeard Pirates had shown him was kindness. The doctors and nurses patched him up every time he was hurt, the cooks made sure he had food, and the entire genuinely tried to include him in whatever they did. For the most part, he replied with a, "Thanks, but no," and they would leave him alone. Sometimes that pompadoured man, Thatch, would stick around and talk to him (or at least try), and the pineapple-head guy, Marco, would try to persuade him to join the crew, but most of the time he was left alone to sulk.

He was so absorbed in his thoughts he didn't notice the light footsteps approaching him until they were about three feet away. Assuming it was Marco or Thatch, he lifted his head to tell them to please, go away, but he was surprised to find it was someone else entirely.

For one thing, the person wasn't a man, but a woman. She wore a simple, white t-shirt and tight, black capris, and her hair was in a braid pulled over to the left side of her neck. The most noticeable feature about her was her bright, golden eyes, which seemed to pierce through Ace's very being. She grinned when she saw he had finally noticed her.

"Hey there," she said with a small wave of her hand. The other hand was behind her back, obviously hiding something from Ace's view. "Mind if I bother you for a second?"

This was certainly a turn of events. Not many of the women on board bothered talking to him because they thought he was rude. Ace had seen this particular woman around the ship, mostly arguing with Marco or laughing with Thatch. She was also friends with the redheaded nurse in the infirmary. He was about to tell her to leave, but he reconsidered and shrugged instead. The woman's smile widened, lighting up her whole face.

"Hey, thanks!" She sat down beside him, and without warning, wrapped an arm around his neck, pulling him closer to her. She took out the object from behind her back and held it in front of them. "Smile!" She said happily as a bright flash came from the device.

Ace blinked a couple times to rid his retina of the spots caused by the flash. He turned to see what she was holding, only to discover it was actually a camera. He scowled. He didn't like having his picture taken, especially by an enemy (unless it was the Marine photographer, of course). He was about to tell her so, but the wide grin on her face stopped him.

She held up the picture for him to see. She was smiling at the camera while he had a dumbfounded expression on his face. Now that bright smile was directed at him. "I'm definitely keeping this one." She stated. She held out her hand to him. "I'm Aerie, by the way."

Thinking it would be rude not to, especially to a woman, Ace shook it. "Ace," he said simply.

"Nice to meet you, Ace," she said happily.

Ace smiled a little, then turned his head to resume staring at the wall in front of him, expecting her to leave. When it was silent, he assumed she had left. He was startled, thought when she said, "So, are you gonna sit and sulk all day, or are you actually gonna talk to me?"

He turned back to her. She was smirking at him, making him flush a little. He sighed, gaining a little control over his foul temper.

"Sorry," he said gruffly. "Not used to you guys sticking around for long."

She shrugged. "It's cool. You're upset, I get it. Everyone gets that way sometimes, and it's hard to get some alone time, especially on a ship with this many crew members."

Ace snorted in reply. Darned right it was impossible to be alone. Crew members constantly bugged him to join them in their escapades or to explore an island. Every time his answer had been no. Aerie was watching his reaction, probably to see if he would get mad and storm off.

When he didn't act out of anger, she sighed and leaned back against the railing. "'Course, it wasn't always this way." He gave her a questioning look, so she explained, "I remember when I first joined the crew. We didn't have nearly as many members, but we were still a force to be reckoned with. With me, we had about five hundred members."

Ace's eyes widened. Marco had told him some time ago that there were over 1,600 members! "How long have you been here?" He asked uncertainly.

A corner of her mouth lifted into a smile. "Kid, I've been on this ship longer than you've been alive." She saw his shocked expression and laughed.

Ace's jaw hung open and his eyes bugged slightly. There was no way this woman was a day over twenty-five, maybe thirty! "What-? How- Just how old are you?!" He immediately winced. He didn't mean for that question to come out that harshly.

To his surprise, she laughed harder. "Oh, you are so precious!" If possible, Ace's jaw dropped further. "Seriously, you should see your face right now!" She was hunched over and tears were streaming from her eyes.

Aerie finally stopped laughing, and sat back up, wiping stray tears from her cheeks. She chuckled and said, "Oh, kid, I haven't laughed that much in ages." She sighed and leaned back against the railing again. "Actually, I just turned forty-one." She glanced at him and smirked. "You're gonna catch flies with your mouth open like that."

Ace closed his gaping mouth and looked away. After another moment of silence from the teen, he muttered, "Sorry, that was rude of me."

Now it was Aerie's turn to be surprised. She quickly recovered, and smiled at the boy. "No worries, we're both pirates. We're not the most polite people in the world." His embarrassed glance her way made her smile even more. Oh, this kid was just too cute!

The two sat in comfortable silence until they heard Aerie's name being called from another part on deck. She sighed and rolled her eyes. "Sounds like Marco needs me again," she muttered. She stood up and stretched before looking back down at Ace with a soft look in her eyes. "Nice talking to you, Ace." He nodded in reply, but before she left she asked, "Ace?" He looked at her, and her mouth curved upwards into a smile. "You've got such a handsome face, kid. It's a shame you use it to frown all of the time."

With that, she turned and walked away to find Marco. What she didn't see was the color that had risen to Ace's cheeks, and the small, reluctant smile that came with it.

* * *

**Savage Kill: Tell me about it! When I thought of this I cried. I purposefully skipped the part where they died in the anime because I knew I'd cry. Yeah, they're doing just fine. :)**

**XxFire-PhoenixxX: Haha, thanks! I don't think he will because I don't think power is really Marco's thing. Plus, I'm not one-hundred-percent sure he is the new captain. For now, it's just a theory. **

**Hehe, guess I finally decided to write... But, I have a good reason! It's called homework and stupid teachers that want me to finish all of their homework X(. Ugh...**

**You know the drill! Favorite, follow, and review! See you next time!**

**~Batman**


	5. Night Watch

**Title: Night Watch **

**Genre: Humor (or at least, my attempts to be humorous)**

**Summary: Thatch has a bit of a difficulty making Apollo understand the crow's nest is not his nest.**

* * *

When Thatch was asked to be on night watch, he expected to have a nice, quiet evening spent in the crow's nest with a fuzzy blanket and a bottle of rum. He thought he would spend the hours in lovely solitude watching the stars and the sky turn from a velvety navy to a pale periwinkle. He knew what to do in case of an emergency, like some poor chap trying to kill Pops; a fire (thanks to the idiots in charge of the lanterns); or even if the boat started to sink (definitely the worse thing that could happen, seeing as there were Devil Fruit users on board).

Thatch grabbed a bottle of rum from the kitchen, expertly sneaking it out from under the eyes of Haruta and the twelfth division. He took a blanket from a pile of spares in a hall closet and headed up to the deck, nodding at a few members as a way of saying good night. He reached the deck and stretched, before reaching the ropes leading up to the crow's nest. This was the real struggle. He tucked the bottle of rum into the yellow sash at his waist, and the blanket he tied around his shoulders. He made it to the top of the ropes without a problem. The problem lay inside the crow's nest itself. For in the crow's nest, lay sleeping the one thing Thatch had not accounted for in his list of bad situations.

Lying there peacefully, without a care in the world, was Apollo, the large golden eagle and faithful companion of Aerie. Thatch stared at the bird, completely unsure of what to do next. The only one the giant bird listened to was Aerie. Without her, Thatch seriously doubted he could convince him that he needed the crow's nest more than the bird did. However, it was pretty late, so Aerie was probably asleep. Thatch was, after all, a gentleman, and gentlemen did not wake ladies from their beauty sleep, especially since this particular lady had just returned from traveling that evening. Thatch sighed. Looks like he'd have to do this his way.

"Alright buddy," he said to the giant bird. "Looks like you're going to have to get up."

The bird didn't even wake up. Thatch sighed and moved the be at his side. He put his hands on his shoulder. "Apollo, move." He ordered.

Apollo opened one of his big, brown eyes, and the next thing Thatch knew was flying through the air. He crashed on the deck flat on his back, giving him the perfect view of Apollo peering over the edge of the crow's nest at him.

"Stupid bird!" He called up. Apollo merely drew his head back and presumably went back to sleep. Grumbling, Thatch got to his feet and glared at the bird. He needed to be up in the crow's nest, but without Aerie, he doubted he could even get in there.

_I'm not going to wake her up, though. She just got back! _Thatch thought to himself. He put a hand on his chin and rubbed it contemplatively. An idea came to his mind and he scurried into the kitchen. He came out with a large chunk of meat and quickly climbed the ladder again.

Just as he suspected, Apollo had fallen asleep again. Thatch had to say his name twice before he even cracked an eyelid open. He cautiously held out his bait to the bird of prey and smiled toothily.

"Hey buddy," he said, "I got some tasty meat for you here." Apollo raised his head to look at the meat greedily. He stretched his neck to take the meat from Thatch's hand, but the pirate drew his hand back out of his reach. "Ah-ah-ah. You have to leave the crow's nest if you want it."

Apollo looked mildly irritated that he hadn't gotten the treat. A sly gleam came into his eyes that Thatch didn't like one bit. Moving faster than one would expect from a bird his size, Apollo lunged forward and grabbed the meat in his beak. Thatch was so startled that he jumped back, only to find himself already at the railing. With this action, he slowly tipped backwards...

...and fell out of the crow's nest again.

As he found himself on his back on the deck, again, Thatch hear the bird making a strange coughing noise. His jaw dropped and his eyes narrowed as he realized what was going on. _He's laughing at me!_ This was the last straw for Thatch. He angrily got to his feet, already planning his next move.

When he next came up the mast, he held his sword in his hand. "Alright bird," he spat. Apollo raised his head and glared at the man. "This ends now!" He lunged at the golden eagle.

Apollo simply flapped his wings once in order to dodge the attack. He landed on Thatch's head, instantly crushing his pompadour. Thatch let out a growl of frustration and tried to swipe at the bird again, but Apollo knocked the sword from his hand. With a screech, Apollo took off holding Thatch in his talons. Desperately, he fumbled to grasp at the bird's leg, but he let go before the man could. Thatch landed once more on the deck, but this time, he fell unconscious.

The last thing Thatch saw was an undefeated Apollo flying back to his "nest".

~...~

Aerie woke up feeling refreshed. She had gotten straight to bed when she arrived back on the ship, stopping only to tell Pops how her mission had gone. Surprisingly, she had a full night's sleep, with no annoying interruptions from other crew members.

Stretching, she slowly got dressed in the cabin she shared with Eliza, careful to not wake the redheaded nurse. She quietly left the room to go on deck to find Marco and go to breakfast. As she came on deck, she beheld a curious sight.

Thatch was lying, spread-eagle in the center of the deck, right under the crow's nest. His prized pompadour was messed up, with feathers sticking every which way out of his hair. She looked up at the sky, wondering what could have caused this phenomenon. Shrugging, she left her brother to sleep, and went to the galley for breakfast.

* * *

**Savage Kill: Ah! If it isn't my old friend, Savage Kill! Long time, no see! Haha I was beginning to think you forgot about me ;). I can totally see that too! Am I detecting a new one-shot? Ugh, really?! I just updated and you want another?! You're killing me here, man! ;) As always, thanks for the review!**

**Hah. I finally updated! Sorry if this one seems lame. I started it a long while back and just finished it. Hope you enjoyed!**

**Favorite! Follow! Review!**

**~BatmanSwim2016**


	6. Secret Santa

**Title: Secret Santa**

**Genre: Family, Christmas, a little Romance**

**Summary: Thatch arranges a Secret Santa for the crew.**

* * *

It was that time of year again. Of course, with the weird weather on the Grand Line, it was almost impossible to tell that it was now December. Not that it would stop the Whitebeard Pirates from partying almost nonstop the entire month. They decorated Moby Dick with lights and garland; hung hundreds of wreaths from the rails; set up an enormous Christmas tree in the center of the deck; and of course, placed mistletoe in plenty of inconspicuous locations.

It was during one of these parties that Thatch had a brilliant idea. He was sitting at a table, enjoying his Christmas eggnog with his usual crew, when he suddenly fell out of his chair out of excitement. He popped back up off the floor as if the incident had never happened, and shouted, "Hey, everyone! Let's do a Secret Santa!"

"What's that?" Asked Aerie from her seat to his right.

Thatch gaped at her. "You've never done a Secret Santa?"

"I lived alone with my dad for sixteen years, then on my own for four, Thatch. I didn't have a lot of time to do Secret Santa."

"Basically," explained Eliza, "we all put our names in a hat or a pot, then we each draw a name. Whichever name we get is the person we have to buy a present for."

"It's pretty much a test to see how well you know your crew mates," added Izo.

Aerie nodded. "Sounds simple enough. Are there any rules as to what not to get?"

"Not anything too vulgar, yoi. We all know what a dirty mind you have," Marco said from across the table with a sly smirk.

"Says the guy who walks around half-naked every day," Aerie snorted.

"Okay, you two," Thatch said, rolling his eyes. "Everyone in for Secret Santa?" He was met with enthusiastic nods. "Let's go ask Pops!"

Persuading Whitebeard and the crew to play along took almost no effort. Everyone wrote their names on scraps of paper and tossed them into a giant bowl. They all drew a name and set off to brainstorm ideas.

Aerie drew Whitebeard himself. She sat in her shared cabin, trying to think of an idea for the giant man.

_What do you get a guy who's only treasure is his family?_ She asked herself. She glanced over at Eliza's side of the room and had a genius idea. She laughed, barely able to conceal her excitement.

~...~

Christmas Day was met with the enthusiasm of children. Under the tall tree in the center of the deck lay a multitude of presents, all with a name tag. They had decided to not to tell each other who they had as a Secret Santa, rather, they would guess once the presents had been opened. Aerie's gift would not fit under the tree, but she had managed to convince the crew to sign a card for their beloved captain. On the card held directions to where his present was.

Thatch stood in front of the tree, wearing a red Santa Claus hat and a jolly smile. As soon as the entire crew had gathered around the decorated fir, he called out names and handed people their presents.

Aerie was one of the last to receive her present. It was a simple card with her name on it. As soon as the entire population of the Moby Dick had their gifts, they ripped into them with vigor. Cries of surprise and excitement were heard all around the deck.

The Artful Dodger opened her card with a small smile. The smile stretched into a grin when she saw what was on it.

_Are you ready for a treasure hunt, matey? Solve all the clues to find your present! The next clue is in your room!_

Aerie vowed to solve the hunt later. First she wanted to see the reaction of Pops when he saw his gift. To her delight, she saw the crew dragging him from his massive chair. He followed them down into the belly of the ship, where his present was being held.

The crew congregated in the hallway down near the mess hall. Aerie had utterly transformed the hallway, and she had done it all early that morning.

On the wall was a collage of the crew's wanted posters, each of them signed. Aerie searched the papers for weeks until she had collected each of them. Once that was accomplished, she recruited all of the members to autograph their posters. She then woke up before everyone and glued them all to the wall.

In the center of the collage was Whitebeard's poster in an ornate frame. Surrounding his, in order going clockwise, were the sixteen division commanders. Fanning out from them was the division members themselves, including the nurses.

Whitebeard was speechless. He broke into a broad grin and closed his eyes. "Aerie," he rumbled, "come here."

Aerie was pushed by her brothers and sisters until she stood in front of the wall beside her captain. She smiled up at him. "How'd you know it was me?"

He opened his eyes again, and she could have sworn she saw actual tears. "Brat, you're the only one who would make art like this."

"Eh, I guess you're right." She looked at the wall with pride. "Do you like it? I'm thinking we should call it the Wall of Infamy."

He ruffled her hair, much like one would to a small child. "I love it, brat." He rumbled affectionately.

"Well," she pulled a pen from her pocket, "there's still one poster that needs signing."

With a loud, booming laugh, Whitebeard signed his own poster, completing the collage. The crew gave a cheer and Thatch yelled out from, the back, "Hey guys, it's snowing outside! Let's go party!"

As the crew rushed back to the deck, a Aerie stayed behind. Whitebeard gazed fondly at the posters on the wall. After a moment of comfortable silence, he said, "Go on, brat. If I'm not mistaken, someone left you a treasure to find."

Aerie gaped at him for a minute, his yellow eyes not revealing anything. She got the feeling he knew exactly who gave her her gift. She smiled and embraced him around the waist, before dashing off to her room.

~...~

True to her card's word, there was another clue on her bed. This one read:

_She's a clever one isn't she? Not that it takes a lot of brains to read a card. The next clue is on your favorite bed in the infirmary!_

Aerie eagerly went to Eliza's infirmary and found the card. She followed this one to the training dojo. The next one to the mess hall. Then to the figurehead. Apollo's birdhouse.

Finally, she found the last clue card. It read:

_Alright, I promise this is the last one. Your gift is on your bed. For real, this time. Enjoy!_

_-Your Secret Santa_

She found herself outside her cabin again, slightly out of breath from her jaunt around the ship. She opened the door and went inside the cabin.

The sight of her gift, or gifts, she should say, blew her away. Spread out over the blue duvet was the largest amount of art supplies Aerie had seen in one place. There were paints, the oily, expensive kind, pencils of all grades and colors, brushes, erasers, and many more. There was even a brand new spiral-bound sketch book, it's creamy pages begging to be filled by her work. Lastly, on the center of her pillow, was a tiny, wrapped package. She ripped the paper off to reveal a small, velvet box.

Curiosity growing, Aerie opened the box. A hand shot to her mouth as she gasped, golden irises shooting open wide.

In the box was a glass anchor suspended on a silver chain. Hanging next to the anchor was a silver bird's wing. It's simplicity was what made the necklace so beautiful. She looked to the pillow again and saw another card.

_You be the anchor that keeps my feet on the ground, I'll be the wings that keep your heart in the clouds._

Aerie smiled again, having a pretty good idea who her Secret Santa was. She put the box in her pocket and went to the deck to the Christmas party.

~...~

Christmas, like every other special occasion, on the Moby Dick was a sight to behold. All over the deck, pirates drank eggnog, had snowball fights, and tried to trap the nurses under the mistletoe.

Eliza returned from one such incident, face flushed an angry red. She had beaten the poor sap into the floorboards for trying to kiss her. Her green eyes flashed danger to everyone around her, warning people to stay away.

Aerie mingled with the crowd, laughing with her friends and watching the snow fall in the coming twilight. Finally, she found the person whose company she sought.

He stood alone with a mug of sake on the figurehead. The snow fell peacefully around him, and the set sun dramatically before him, giving him an almost calm air. Aerie snorted. The arrogance surrounding completely drowned out the calm atmosphere. She walked up behind him and punched him in the shoulder.

Marco spit out most of the drink in his mouth. He swallowed the rest, nearly choking on it, and spun around. "What was that for?" He demanded to the golden eyed woman behind him. He was not expecting, though, the hands on his shoulders and the warm pair of lips that brushed his cheek. Marco's mind completely shut down for about a second, before kicking into gear again. He gaped at his subordinate, eyes searching her face for an answer.

She smirked and held up the necklace. Understanding filled Marco's face and he grinned sheepishly. "Take it you liked the gift, then, yoi," he muttered.

Aerie rolled her eyes. "Where did you find it?"

"Thatch did, actually. When we stopped at that last island, he found a glassmaking shop. This was in the window," he shrugged.

She raised an eyebrow. "And the card?"

"Ah. Vista actually wrote that. He must have slipped it in there when I wasn't looking. Shifty guy. I even told him not to!"

"I'm sure you did," she teased. "But, seriously, thank you. I loved the art supplies. Especially the paints. Those must have been expensive."

"Eh, no big deal." He rubbed the back of his neck. "Pops really liked your present." He said, changing the subject.

Aerie looked back at the captain, who was drinking from a giant urn that read "I mustache you a question," with the word replaced by a cartoon mustache. No doubt a gift from Vista. "Yeah, he did seem to enjoy it didn't he," she murmured in thought. They stood side by side for a moment in companionable silence.

The silence was broken by none other than Thatch. He sidled up to them and put an arm over each of their shoulders. There were distinctive lipstick marks on his cheeks. "Heeey guys. Whatcha doin' all by yourselves over here?"

"Nothing, Thatch," Aerie said, pushing his arm off of her shoulder. "I was just leaving. Merry Christmas, Marco." She turned and began to walk away.

Only to be stopped by a hand grabbing the back of her collar. "Where're you going?" Thatch asked.

"I was-"

"Not anymore, bird brain. Look at where you're standing."

Aerie was about to protest that she wasn't standing on anything when she followed Thatch's gaze upward. There, suspended by a rope from the mast was Vista, who was holding a piece of mistletoe. Her mouth dropped open comically. "What? Where did that come from?"

"Doesn't matter. Now, get in with it." The pompadoured man said, waving his hand in Marco's general direction.

The blonde put his hands in his pockets. "I'm afraid you're too late, Thatch. Should've seen her five minutes ago. She was all over me."

"I was not!" Aerie interjected, her face a shocking shade of red.

"Unfortunately, I do have standards. Only one kiss per customer, I'm afraid." Marco sighed dejectedly.

"That wasn't what you told that broad the other day!" Vista called from up above.

"Not helping!" Aerie all but screamed.

"Still," Marco said, "Aerie already had her turn. So, I'm sorry, Thatch. Go find someone else to get your entertainment." Thatch sulked away. The First Division commander turned back to Aerie with a smirk. "So, what was that all about, yoi?"

Aerie huffed and crossed her arms. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"Well just a few minutes ago you couldn't wait to kiss me. Why hesitate now?"

"Th-that..." Aerie stuttered, feeling the heat rush to her face again. "That didn't mean anything! It was just a thank you!"

"Eh, doesn't matter anyway. I'll just find a way for you to make it up to me," he added in a slightly darker voice. Aerie gaped at him.

"H-hey, I'm still up here!" Vista said. "Don't be going and doing anything ridiculous now! Keep it PG!"

Aerie groaned, not wanting to deal with her family's antics anymore. Meanwhile, the pirates partied on, making the most out of their Christmas together.

* * *

**Well...not too crazy about this one. It started out really bad and ended up kinda good... I don't know. Anyway, did y'all appreciate that Marco/Aerie moment there? I was blushing so much when I wrote it, even though it was only a kiss on the cheek. I'm just super awkward, okay!**

**I think I'll write a one-shot for New Years. Thoughts or ideas? REVIEW!**

**Merry Christmas!**

**~Batsy**


	7. New Year's Eve

**Title: New Year's Eve**

**Genre: Humor, and okay, slight Romance**

**Summary: Aerie wants to go to bed early on New Year's Eve, but Marco has other plans. Modern AU.**

* * *

New Year's Eve is, traditionally, a metaphorical doorway leading into the next year of one's life. An important passing of time that only comes once every three hundred and sixty-five days. The coming of a new age, the dawn of a new era. This day always brought parties and celebrations of some sort, with everyone trying to start the new year with a bang.

Everyone, except for an aspiring young artist who wanted nothing more than to get some sleep so she could wake up in the morning for work. Her name was Tanaka Aerie. However, with everyone in the Moby Dick Apartment Complex partying like crazy until midnight or later, she doubted she would get her wish.

With an exasperated sigh, she stepped out of the shower to still hear the noises of her fellow residents rowdy merry making. She put on a pair of pajamas she had received for Christmas from her friend and roommate, Eliza. They were a light blue, cottony, and very comfortable.

Since it was only around eight o'clock, Aerie decided she would curl up in and read a book for a while before actually going to sleep. Her shift at the local antique store didn't start until nine in the morning, so she could stay up a little later. Not too late, though; she wanted to have a clear head when she had to catalog merchandise and help customers in the morning.

She had been reading for about half an hour when she heard a knock on the door to her apartment. Scowling, she swung herself off the mattress and made her way to the door. _No, no, no! Dang it, Thatch, I told you I'm not partying tonight!_ She thought. However, to her surprise, it was not her dear friend Thatch at the door, but her rather lazy, blonde, and egotistical neighbor, Marco.

Aerie gave him a look that would cow a bull. "What?" She growled.

Marco gave her his best smirk. "Aerie, there you are, yoi! Thatch was worried you wouldn't make it down to the lobby for the party. I told him I'd check on you and bring you downstairs."

"Well, you can thank Thatch for his concern, but I have to go to work in the morning, so if you wouldn't mind..." Aerie began to close the door, but was stopped by Marco's foot. "Marco, what are you doing?"

"Oh, no, you're not getting out of this one. You still owe me, remember?"

"I don't know what you're talking about."

Marco's smirk widened as he opened the door and leaned in more. "Yes you do, yoi. The Christmas party?"

Aerie did remember. The complex had thrown a Christmas party featuring a Secret Santa, and Marco had drawn her name. He gave her a plethora of art supplies and the most beautiful necklace she had ever seen. It was a simple silver chain, a silver eagle's wing, and a glass anchor. Later, the two found themselves standing beneath their friend Vista, who hung from a balcony holding a piece of mistletoe. Marco, however, said that since Aerie had already given him a kiss on the cheek as a thank-you, she would make it up to him later.

Her eyes widened. "Seriously? You're bringing that up now?"

"Yep," he said. "You're going to repay your debt." He pushed his way into the apartment, closing the door behind him with his foot.

Once he was inside, Aerie got a view of what he was wearing. She closed her eyes and pinched the bridge of her nose. "Marco, honestly, do you not know how to pick out clothes when you wake up?"

"Eh? What are you talking about? This looks fine." He looked down at his attire.

"That," she gestured at all of him. Normally, his only fashion issue was that he picked colors that clashed or patterns that didn't match at all. However, tonight, his crimes against the fashion world had reached a new level. He wore teal capris, straw sandals, a white sash as a belt, some sort of gold decoration, and a purple shirt. The shirt was left unbuttoned to reveal his toned upper body, and the symbol for the apartment complex was painted across his chest.

Aerie snorted and rolled her eyes. "Whatever. What do you want?"

He made himself comfortable on her couch. "You'll see."

"If you're not going to tell me, I'm going to go to bed." As she was leaving though, a tan hand wrapped itself around her wrist. Before she could process this, she was pulled down onto Marco's lap, her back on his chest. His arms wrapped around her stomach and he buried his grinning face into her hair. A dark red blush came to Aerie's cheeks immediately. "M-M-Marco let me go!"

"No, thanks, I'm rather comfortable." He nuzzled her clean hair again.

"I'm not!" Aerie tried to push his arms off of her, but to no avail. She added, in utter seriousness, "I'll scream."

He tensed a bit, then relaxed. "No you won't, yoi. I'm not going to do _that_."

"If you even thought about it-"

"Calm down, I won't," he assured. He took a deep breath. "You smell good."

"WHY ARE YOU SNIFFING ME?!"

"What else am I supposed to do with you sitting on me like this?"

"DON'T MAKE IT SOUND LIKE I CHOSE TO SIT HERE, YOU PERVERT!"

"Jeez, you're loud. Now I know why Eliza's downstairs and not up here with you."

Aerie took a deep breath. "Please let me go?"

"No." He moved his head forward until his face was pressed into the crook of her neck. Aerie let out a shriek and tried to jump, but his arms held her in place. A whole new shade of red erupted on her face. Marco sighed and loosened his grip a bit. "Here," he said. He moved so he was lying down on the couch and she was on top of him. "Better?"

"No! Let me go!" She tried pushing on his chest, but nothing happened.

Marco groaned. This was harder than he thought it would be. "Fine. But if I do, don't leave yet. You're staying up until midnight."

"Fine." He removed his arms from around her back and she sat up. He followed her example and crossed his legs.

Aerie put her head in her hands and softly moaned. So much for going to bed early, she thought. She looked at the clock over the television. It told her it was only nine o'clock. She still had three hours until midnight, then she could go to sleep.

~...~

Three hours passed surprisingly quickly. After a couple of minutes of uncomfortable silence, Aerie suggested she put on a movie. Marco agreed and they watched Clue, one of Aerie's favorites. She must have dozed off, because the next thing she knew, Marco was gently shaking her awake and telling her it was five minutes until midnight.

"What's so important about midnight, anyway?" She asked through a yawn.

Marco smirked. "I told you: you'll see."

The closer the time drew to midnight, the more curious Aerie became. She desperately wanted to know why the time that signified the coming of the new year was so important. Just what was he planning? Soon enough, they could hear the rowdy partiers downstairs loudly counting down from sixty.

Marco stood up and stretched his arms and legs. He took both of Aerie's hands and gently pulled her to her feet so she stood in front of him. When she shot him a confused look, he only smirked in reply.

As the crowd started counting down from thirty, he wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her closer to him. At fifteen, he cupped her cheel with his other hand.

Aerie now had a pretty good idea what was going on. However, when he started to lean in closer, she let him instead of leaning away like she normally would.

10...

9...

8... He was close enough that he could feel his breath fanning her face.

7...

6...

5... Marco had freckles. She had never noticed before. Tiny clusters of brown dots decorating his cheekbones and nose.

4...

3... Aerie closed her eyes.

2...

1... Marco gently pressed his lips against hers as cheers erupted downstairs. The new year had come once again, and it was warmly welcomed with the cheering and noise making of everyone in the Moby Dick Apartment Complex.

Everyone except a young couple in an apartment on the third floor. They welcomed the new year in an old-fashioned, sentimental, and often copied way. These two were silent in their celebration, something very rare for people of their age. Neither quite aware of their surroundings, but just utterly absorbed by each other's soft touch. Somehow, both of them knew this new year would be full of glorious promise. The promise of something just out of reach, but yet so close.

Neither of them could wait to to find out what that something was.

* * *

**I did it! I wrote a romantic scene without too much difficulty! Hooray! I'll let you guys think up of what happened next.**

**What did you think? I'm pretty proud of it! Maybe I'm not such a hopeless fool after all. Let me know how you guys think I did and REVIEW!**

**Happy New Year, everyone!**

**~Batman**


	8. Stay With Me

**Title: Stay With Me**

**Genre: Angst, Hurt/Comfort**

**Summary: After the events at Marineford, Marco is left alone with his thoughts.**

* * *

How can everything go so wrong in one day? Let alone in a few hours? How can you be on top of the world, unstoppable, one minute, and the next be struggling to survive?

Marco asked himself these very questions as he looked out at the horizon. After Red Haired Shanks showed up at the War of the Best, it had provided them the perfect opportunity to retreat. They had escaped and regrouped at an island that was a safe enough distance from Marineford. He stood at the edge of a tall cliff on the island's side, grimly reflecting the day's events and trying to come up with something, anything, as to what they could do next.

They had lost so much. Crew members, allies, _Ace_, _Pops_...he had to stop his train of thought before they went down that path again. He didn't want to think about that, about how they were so utterly and completely defeated by the Marines, about how they were so crippled by the loss of their father and family, about how everyone was now looking to him for leadership, when he was just as lost as they were.

He heaved a frustrated sigh and ran a hand through his blonde hair. A movement in the corner of his field of vision caught his eye. Turning his head, he saw a figure making its way down the beach below him. Even from this distance, he could make out the slim body, and the long, brown hair tied back in a braid of one of his most trusted friends.

Momentarily fascinated, he watched her moved down the shore. She appeared to be lost in thought, gazing blankly out at sea like he was minutes before. Marco briefly wondered what she was thinking about, before realizing it just as quickly: she was no doubt thinking of the same things he was.

As if sensing his gaze, she turned her head up the cliffside where he stood, gold eyes meeting blue in an instant. She didn't say anything, but the look on her face was enough for him to glide down the rocky face, allowing his arms to turn into fiery wings.

She didn't break eye contact with him as he walked to where she waited. The look in her eyes was just so uncharacteristically cautious it made Marco hesitate for a split second. Before he could comment, she spoke up first.

"Red Hair just arrived," she said, "his crew is helping our nurses with the wounded. He says he's gonna arrange the funeral for Pops and Ace."

Marco stared at her. The information didn't surprise him at all; Shanks was a happy-go-lucky man who considered Whitebeard to be his ally, when in fact they were enemies. He mentally cringed at the way he had treated the other pirate captain the last time they'd met. He would apologize later, he decided. Right now, he had more important matters to deal with.

"What's up with you?" He asked her.

Surprise flitted across her features. "Me? I should be asking that about you. You disappeared as soon as we came to shore. No one's seen you in hours."

A sigh. "I know. I needed some time by myself." She nodded in understanding.

"How are you feeling?" The question came after a moment of silence.

Marco looked away for the first time since he had seen her. "I don't know," he lied. "Tired, I guess."

The woman stared at him now. He knew she could see through his lie; they had been through too much together for her to not know him better.

She didn't say anything. Instead she stepped forward until there were mere inches between them. She wrapped her arms around him and drew him into a warm embrace.

Well, this was certainly unexpected. Unexpected, but not unwelcome. After a couple of seconds, he hugged her around her shoulders. He felt her rest her forehead against his collarbone, and he leaned his cheek against the top of her head.

"What do you need?" She murmured against his chest.

There were so many ways to answer that question. He needed his world to make sense again. He needed his father and brother and family back. He needed someone else to take charge for once, instead of looking to him for leadership.

Marco didn't answer with any of these things. Instead, he squeezed her form a little tighter and nuzzled his nose into her hair.

"Right now, I think all I need, Aerie, is everyone to keep being so strong," he whispered.

He felt her nod against him and she relaxed a bit into his embrace. A few minutes of comfortable silence passed before Aerie moved out of his arms. She gave him a smile of sadness and, oddly, relief, and she turned to walk back down the beach.

He reached out and took her hand before she walked away. He smiled back at her and gently tugged her in the opposite direction, where the crew had made camp.

"Stay with me?" He asked quietly, as if afraid someone would overhear.

She intertwined their fingers and nodded. "Of course."

* * *

**Super fluffy! I didn't think I would be able to write something like this! (Yes, I know what you're thinking: "But Batman, you say that after every time you write something cute." It's true though. I'm just not a real romantic person.)**

**Did you like it? Favorite, follow, REVIEW! Until next time!**

**~Batman**


	9. Valentine's Day

**Title: Valentine's Day**

**Genre: Humor, Romance**

**Summary: Aerie decides to not spend Valentine's Day alone. After all, how can you say no to a guy with a heart-shaped pizza?**

* * *

Saturday, February the fourteenth. Valentine's Day. Couple's Day. The day of _amore._ In other words, the day most people would not be spending by themselves in front of the television, wearing sweats and a t-shirt, munching on an entire bag of potato chips.

Of course, most people are not Tanaka Aerie.

This is exactly where she found herself around noon on that particular Saturday. Her classes at New World City University had ended early that morning, so as soon as she got home to her shared apartment, she changed into her slouching clothes and plopped herself on the couch with a bag of Lay's.

Aerie shoved another mouthful of chips into her mouth with one hand, while channel surfing on the remote with the other. Her roommate, Eliza, had a date this afternoon, so she had the entire third-floor apartment to herself. Finally finding a suitable channel, she curled up more into the comfortable furniture and prepared for an afternoon of solitude.

Or so she thought.

A knock at the door roused her from her zombie-like television-watching state. She muttered something under her breath as she got up from the couch and crossed the living room to the door. She peeked out the eyehole and was completely unsurprised to see her neighbor standing out in the hall, a victorious smirk on his face as if he knew she had risen from her TV program. He had both of his hand behind his back, clearly displaying that he was hiding something.

A bit grumpily, she opened the door and gave him her best bored expression. "Can I help you?" She asked in a monotone.

As expected, the smirk widened. "I hope I'm not disturbing you, Aerie dear, yoi." He said with mock-politeness.

Aerie narrowed his eyes, knowing full well he didn't give a damn whether he disturbed him or not. "Of course not," she answered suspiciously.

"Fantastic! Now, may I come in, or are you gonna make me stand out here all day?"

"Why should I?"

He took one of his hands from behind his back and placed it over his heart. He gave her a wounded-puppy look. "C'mon Aerie, you're killing me here." The look was met with a mask of indifference. His expression turned into a grin and he leaned forward conspiratorially. "I've got something for you," he said in a sing-song voice.

Begrudgingly, Aerie opened the door wider and let him walk through. He did so, keeping his body facing her so she wouldn't see what was behind his back. When she tried looking over his shoulder, he clicked his tongue in denial.

"I'll show you what it is in a minute, yoi," he promised.

Annoyed, she replied, "Why did I even let you in here in the first place?"

"Because you love me." It was said with the most mischievous smirk in the world, she wouldn't have doubted Satan himself had been the one to teach it to him.

Aerie rolled her eyes. "If it makes you happy to think that, then think it."

The smirk stretched into a grin that revealed perfect, white teeth. "You didn't seem to disagree on New Year's Eve," he pointed out.

A bit of color rose to her cheeks, both out of embarrassment and anger. "That's only because you barged your way in here and forced me to sit on your lap."

"You didn't seem to mind what we did after that."

"I was tired and you were being really pushy that night."

"Still, most ladies don't give up once they've had just a taste of Marco like you did, yoi."

She rolled her eyes again. "What do you want?" She asked irritably.

He leaned in closer to her. Deciding to be stubborn, she didn't lean away. He stopped when he was millimeters away from the outer shell of her ear.

"What I want is," he breathed, "for you to stop being a stick-in-the-mud on holidays."

Aerie released a breath she didn't know she had been holding. "You sure know the way to a woman's heart, Marco." She lifted a hand to his chest and pushed him away.

Marco chuckled. "I try." With a flourish, he brought the object out from behind his back.

It was a cardboard pizza box, with a smiling chef pictured on the top pulling a steaming pizza from a brick oven. Aerie raised an eyebrow at the blond man. Taking this as a cue to continue, he flipped the top of the box open, revealing the contents.

Aerie's eyebrow crawled further up her forehead. "What is this?" She asked.

Marco gave her a lazy smirk. "It's a heart-shaped pizza, yoi," he said triumphantly.

She could see that. The only problem with the pepperoni pizza was it was not cooked. It was still covered in plastic. Aerie pointed this out to him, and his smirk grew.

"That's because I was planning on cooking it for us later," he said, "after-"

"Hold on, did you say 'us'?" Aerie cut in.

The blond rolled his eyes. "Yes, Aerie, us. I bought this pizza for the two of us. That way we could eat it after-"

"Why?" She interjected again.

"Well, if you would stop interrupting, I will explain." He snapped impatiently. When she was silent, he continued. "As I was trying to say, I wanted to make it for the two of us after you go on a date with me."

Aerie blinked in surprise. "Date?"

"Yes, it's what two people do when they like each other and want to get to know each other more."

"I know what a date is," she retorted. "I was just making sure that was what you said. Did you lose a bet?"

He snorted and rolled his eyes, not bothering to dignify the question with a response. "Do you want to or not?"

"Sure." Marco almost dropped the pizza in shock. "Where are we going?"

Now it was Marco's turn to blink. "I... I don't know..."

"You ask me on a date, and you don't know what you want to do?"

"I honestly didn't think I would get this far," he admitted. "I was totally expecting you to slam the door in my face."

Aerie sighed in exasperation. "Why wouldn't I say yes?"

"Because you're you," he deadpanned.

"Keep talking and I'll change my mind and go back to channel surfing with my bag of chips." She warned.

"Fine." The two stared at each other while Marco's mind raced to find a suitable place to go for a date with the woman. "What if... What if we went ice skating at the new skating rink in town? Haruta's been and she says it's pretty sweet."

Aerie smiled a little. "I'd like that. Just give me a couple minutes to get changed."

~...~

The rink was built close to the apartment building, so the couple walked there. Aerie had never been ice skating before, so it was amusing for Marco to watch her attempt to get her balance on the thin blades.

The two spent the rest of the afternoon there. They only left once the rink was closing, and by then the sun was going down.

Aerie's legs and butt were sore, but that was to be expected. She did manage to fall quite a few times on the ice. Once she even pulled Marco down with her by accident. He just laughed it off, even though he had landed rather hard on his knee.

She snuck a glance at the blond walking beside her. He walked casually, omitting an air of pure confidence. His tall stature and muscular body made anybody think twice about approaching them on the darkening street.

A lazy smirk appeared on his face as his electric blue eyes found hers. "Like what you see, yoi?" He asked smugly.

Aerie responded by punching him in the arm, hard, while muttering, "Idiot."

He turned his gaze back to the street. "If you say so," he murmured.

They reached the apartment building they both lived in. He opened the door for her like the gentleman he wasn't and walked a small distance behind her. They walked to the elevator, passing several of the other residents, many of whom gave appreciative whistles at the sight of the couple.

Aerie's cheeks burned slightly as they entered the metal carriage. Every time the two of them were seen together, the other residents made a big production over it. It didn't help when Marco would play along with them and attempt flirting or physical contact with her. Normally she would brush it off, but recently it had become harder and harder for her to ignore them.

After what seemed like an eternity, the elevator reached the third floor. Once again, Marco allowed her to walk through first, while trailing behind her as they made their way to the apartment. She fumbled to fit her key in the doorknob. She finally unlocked it and pushed open the door.

It was dark inside, so Aerie flipped on the light switch. She was met with the most astonishing sight in her young, twenty-year-old life.

On every available surface, even the couch, was dozens and dozens of red roses. Aerie felt her jaw drop down to the floor.

Marco hummed in thought. "Now, I know I didn't order _this_ many roses."

The brunette turned to look at him with wide eyes. "You... You did this?"

"Hn? Oh, not all of this. I only ordered a dozen roses." He shrugged. "Vista must have heard me wrong when I told him how many I wanted."

_Or he did this on purpose, the sneaky bastard_. Marco added silently to himself. _He better not have charged me extra for these when I didn't order them._ He glanced at the woman. _Then again, her expression is totally worth it._

Aerie walked to the couch and picked up one of the flowers and lifted it to her face. She closed her eyes and inhaled its scent. She reopened her eyes and met his gaze.

"You didn't lose a bet, did you?" She asked in understanding.

Marco smirked and put his hands in his pockets. "Nope. That, darling, was something you made up all on your own."

She placed the rose back where she had gotten it and moved to stand in front of him, just within arm's reach. "Why?"

Now it was his turn to pick up a rose. He held it in front of his mouth and grinned at her with his eyes. "_'Cause it's just like the ocean, under the moon..._" He sang in a nice baritone.

Aerie clapped her hands over her ears. "Not that song," she moaned.

Of course, he ignored her. "_Well, it's the same as the emotion that I get from you..._"

She tried to cover his mouth with her hand, but he neatly avoided her grasp and took her wrist in his own hand.

"_You've got the kind of lovin' that could be so smooth~_" He twirled her under his arm and pulled her back into his chest. "_So give me your heart, make it real..._"

He leaned in to her ear, much like he had hours earlier, to whisper the final line of the song. "_Or else forget about it_." He shifted his arms so he was hugging her around the waist from behind.

"Happy Valentine's Day, Aerie," he murmured before leaning forward to plant a kiss on her cheek.

Aerie froze for a second, blood rushing to her face. A couple seconds of silence passed before she cleared her throat awkwardly. "So how about that pizza?"

She was sure they could hear his laugh all the way down the street at the skating rink.

* * *

**So how is it these one-shots are turning into Marco/Aerie moments? Your guess is as good as mine. **

**I know Valentine's Day isn't until next Saturday, but I have a hot date then with two sets of identical twins, so I wouldn't have been able to post it. **

**What did you think? Favorite, follow, and review please!**

**~Batman**

**P.S. The song Marco is singing is called "Smooth" by Santana. Look it up :)**


	10. Love Part I

**Title: Love Part I**

**Genre: Romance**

**Summary: Her thoughts about him. Fluffiness ahead. Ye be warned.**

* * *

To her, love was the way her name sounded on his lips, especially the way he would whisper it as she was falling asleep. It was the tan hands on her waist that gently brought her hips closer to his. It was the long fingers that tangled in her hair and massaged her scalp. It was the slow rising and falling of his chest as he napped in the afternoon sun.

Love was the way his arms embraced her, making her feel completely safe. It was the way he ruffled her long hair, as though she were a child. It was the comforting scent that permeated his room, somehow part man and part sea.

Love was how his eyes automatically followed her as soon as she entered the same room as him, no matter what he was doing beforehand. Similarly, it was how she seemed to always find herself in the same room as him, as though he was a magnet to her.

It was the look in his eyes that was saved for her and only her. The one that told her so much more than a thousand words ever could.

It was the irritation she felt when after all this time, he still insisted on a chaperone (she called it a babysitter) going with her whenever they docked.

It was the understanding that he wanted to keep her safe and not want to see her get hurt.

It was the smug smirk on his lips when he knew he had won an argument.

It was the scowl on his face when he was unamused by her shenanigans.

Love was the extreme sorrow she felt whenever he had to leave, but also the joy she felt whenever he came back to her.

...it was the heart-wrenching fear that he might never return.

Love was the way he held her like he never wanted to let her go. It was how he would do anything to protect her, even when they were separated by hundreds of enemies.

It was the necklace around her neck and the ring on her hand. It was the child running around with her rebellious nature and his free spirit.

To her, love was everything about him, all the good things and all the bad things.

To her, love was Marco.

* * *

**No way. There is no way I wrote something this cute. Apparently I did though. It actually came to me as I was lifeguarding at the pool yesterday. Truely, there is nothing the mind cannot think of when it is supposed to be doing something else.**

**Tell me what you think! Favorite! Follow! Review!**

**~Batman-sencho**


	11. Love Part II

**Title: Love Part II**

**Genre: Romance**

**Summary: His thoughts about her. Also titled The Fluffy Adventures of Marco and Aerie Part II**

* * *

To him, love was the way she smiled, always bright enough to light up the room. It was the gleam in her eyes whenever she looked at him. It was the childish pout on her face whenever he refused to let her go anywhere by herself.

Love was how her body fit perfectly against his. How natural, how right, it felt to hold her. How even something as simple as holding her hand could send sparks throughout his system.

Love was the frustration he felt when she directly disobeyed an order. It was the annoyance that even after all this time, she still refused to listen to him.

It was the sadness he felt when he had to leave her. But it was also the pure joy when he came back and found her waiting for him.

It was the way his eyes never seemed to stop following her, as though she were a magnet to him. It was the way, no matter what, she got into trouble and he ran to save her.

It was his promise to protect her, even if they were separated by the oceans themselves.

It was the feeling of never wanting her to leave his arms.

It was the white-hot jealousy whenever he saw her even saying "hello" to another man.

It was their child, with his blue eyes and her brown hair.

And although he never said the exact words "I love you" all that often, to him, love was Aerie.

* * *

**Can someone please explain how this collection of one-shots has mostly turned into a collection of Artful Phoenix stuff? Not that I don't mind writing it, of course, I'm just curious.**

**(Now that I think about it, it may be because I don't get to write romance in The Artful Dodger yet, so I'm just letting it all out here.)**

**Anyway, please favorite, follow, and review!**

**~The Batman**


	12. The Pleasure Is All Mine

**Title: The Pleasure Is All Mine**

**Genre: Friendship, Drama**

**Summary: So a pirate and a Marine walk into a bar... Sounds like a bad joke, right? AU**

**WARNING: There are seriously mature themes towards the middle of this one-shot. IF YOU ARE UNCOMFORTABLE WITH THAT, DEFINITELY DO NOT READ THIS!**

* * *

In Paradise, there is an island where pirates and Marines are forced into cooperating with each other. This island is named Star Island, after its five-pointed shape. The island featured several hotels and pubs for the often- quarreling visitors to relax and unwind in. The two parties could mingle, communicate, and bond on this absolutely neutral island.

That didn't mean Marco the Phoenix, First Division commander of the Whitebeard Pirates, actually wanted to go. He happened to know that even after hours of being around the other side of the law, they still hated the pirates and would attempt to arrest and/or kill them at any opportunity. He wasn't worried for himself, of course, but some of the newer members might be in danger. And being the worrying mother-hen he was, he was trying desperately to persuade Pops to not take them to this island.

Unfortunately, this island had special meaning to Pops. It was a favorite hangout for his crew and the Roger Pirates when the Pirate King had been alive. Not to mention it also was one of the best places to buy sake on the Grand Line. So, off they went to Star Island.

"C'mon buddy, it'll be fun!" Marco's best friend Thatch tried to convince him. "Think of all the hot Marine women we'll see and 'mingle' with!" This last phrase was accompanied by the wiggling of the pompadoured man's eyebrows.

Marco rolled his eyes. "I don't care, yoi. I'm worried about the family's safety."

"Dude, relax! It's a neutral zone, what could possibly go wrong?"

Thatch, it seemed, turned out to be right. Even though they received death glares and threatening glances from the Marine ship that had recently docked at the island, neither side made a move to fight the other. The Whitebeards were able to restock supplies and shop for necessities without any trouble whatsoever.

However, it didn't stop Marco from giving his "island responsibility" speech to the crew members before they all scattered for the next few days. The crew groaned and complained, but heard the infamous talk nonetheless.

Marco sent his brothers and sisters off with a sigh. He could only imagine what sort of trouble they could get on an island infested with Marines and rival crews. With reluctance, he walked down the main street of town to find the nearest pub, in order to drown his anxieties away with this island's supposedly-fine sake.

~...~

Tanaka Aerie peered around the bar with barely-concealed disgust. All around her, men and women were getting drunk of their asses, wasting money away in an establishment that didn't deserve their time. What made it worse was that it was mostly her subordinates that were "enjoying" themselves.

"Another, please," she asked the bartender, holding out her glass for more whiskey. Despite being peeved beyond belief, she still used her manners on the gentleman.

He chuckled while cleaning another glass. "You sure, ma'am? That's the fifth you've had in ten minutes!"

She gave him a dangerous look. "I know what I'm doing, son," she said darkly.

The bartender shivered. He chuckled again, uneasily. For such a pretty young woman, she certainly knew how to throw daggers around with those golden eyes of hers. "Of course, ma'am," he said.

Aerie turned her gaze away from the young man. She had been a bit mean to him, so she might consider apologizing later. It wasn't the guy's fault, after all; it was the men who dared call themselves the subordinates of the "Golden Eagle".

"Still brooding?" A new voice asked, sliding up along the bar to her side. His dark blue eyes scanned the inebriated crowd before looking at her.

She scowled, snorted, and tossed her head back to drink the whiskey. It created a nice burning sensation as it slid down her throat and into her stomach.

"Never mind," the man, named Carlyle said, noting her murderous aura. "If it's making you so mad, why are you even here?"

Aerie nodded her head over her right shoulder at the door of the pub. Carlyle followed the motion with his eyes until he caught sight of the group of people that had just entered the place.

"Ah," he murmured in understanding, "pirates."

"I was going to leave, but then they showed up. I don't want these idiots doing anything stupid that could get us kicked off the island so soon." She motioned for the bartender to refill her glass again, which he did.

Her companion nodded. "Makes sense. Still, you look like you're about to kill somebody."

Aerie snorted again. Damn straight she was going to kill somebody, nineteen somebodies to be exact if they didn't sober up in about ten seconds.

"Is this about your dad?" Carlyle asked after a moment. "You guys talked about something in his office. You were pissed then, too."

"I'm fine," she replied stiffly.

The man shrugged. "If you say so." He then took the time to examine his childhood friend closely. Her muscles were tensed and her jaw was clamped firmly shut, as if she was keeping herself from saying something.

He sighed. "I gotta go. The Vice Admiral wanted me to find a place for us to stay tonight."

"See you later," Aerie answered with a dismissing wave.

Carlyle left the bar, looking back and waving at her once at the open door. To his surprise, another man had joined her at the long bar. Like him, this stud was tall and blond, but the other guy was more muscular. Fully confident in Aerie's ability to chase off a leering bachelor, the man left the pub.

~...~

Marco was in a pub watching the people with a bored expression when he saw her. Sitting at the bar by herself in a royal blue sundress, showing off legs that went on forever. When she turned to glare at the men behind her, he got a glimpse of her golden irises. She had beautiful features that were set in a nasty scowl, something that definitely didn't belong on her face.

In an instant, he made the decision to wipe off that frown.

He watched a blond man, presumably a friend of hers, come and speak to her at the bar. She didn't bite his head off, but her demeanor was not friendly in any way. Marco smirked. He did enjoy challenges, after all.

As soon as the other blond man left her side, he stood up and strode casually to the bar where she sat, one hand holding his sake bottle, the other in his pocket. He knew she sensed his presence from the way her shoulders tensed, but she didn't deter him from approaching.

"So," Marco drawled as soon as he was within her earshot, "what's a nice girl like you doing in a place like this?"

Her furious gold gaze found his in a second. If he were a lesser man, he would have shrunk underneath the ferocity behind those eyes. However, he didn't become the First Division commander of the Whitebeard Pirates by chance. His smirk only widened at her expression.

"A pretty little thing like you, all by yourself with all of these..." His voice trailed off as he scanned the room of rowdy Marines and pirates. "Charming gentlemen," he finished.

The woman snorted and swallowed her drink in one shot. She was still silent, acting as though she wasn't troubled by his being there, though her body language told him otherwise.

Marco nodded to the empty glass in her hand. "Strong drink, there. How many have you had?"

Now she fully turned to face him. "Piss off." She growled.

He faked innocence and brought his hands up in surrender. "Woah, there, I'm only trying to make a conversation, sweetheart. I want to know what's made you so mad."

She scoffed. "You don't even know me. And don't call me that..." Her eyes were drawn to the large tattoo on his chest and her scowl deepened. "..._pirate_." The word was said with as much disgust as she could muster.

Her petty insults did nothing to deter Marco. In fact, they only caused him to become even more interested in the woman.

He faked a pout. "Aw, come on, miss, I'm just trying to be friendly."

"Well, try to be friendly somewhere else. I'm not interested."

"Nobody should drink alone."

"I'm sure I'll be fine."

Marco wasn't convinced. He sat down on the stool next to hers and propped his chin up on his hand and met her gaze evenly. Her glare intensified.

"I think we got off on the wrong foot," he stated after a moment of tense silence. "My name's Marco."

"I know that," she snapped. "Marco 'the Phoenix', First Division commander of the Whitebeard Pirates. Wanted for crimes including, but not limited to, piracy, thievery, destroying of World Government property, impersonating government officials, etcetera."

"Ah." He took a swig of his drink. "Now we're at a disadvantage. See, you know all this stuff about me, but I know next to nothing about you, except that you must be a Marine to have all this prejudice against pirates."

As the woman was about to reply, another Marine, presumably of a lower rank, came walking through the door. Upon seeing her, the man quickly pushed his way through the partying crowd and stopped in front of her.

Still panting, he saluted her. "Commodore!" He said, saluting. "The vice admiral needs to see you immediately!"

The commodore scowled. She rolled her eyes and finished off her drink, pointedly ignoring the pirate's gaze.

Marco's grin grew. "Commodore, eh? What did you say your name was?"

"I didn't." She pushed herself to her feet. She smoothed out the front of her dress and gave him a cool glance. "Under normal circumstances, I would say it was a pleasure to meet you, but this time, I won't."

"Oh, believe me," he purred, lowering his eyelids, "the pleasure was all mine."

The baffled Marine looked rapidly back and forth between the two. "Umm, Commodore? Isn't that-"

"Let's go, Ensign." The commodore cut him off before he could finish his sentence. They left without another word, leaving a thoroughly amused First Division commander at the bar.

"Commodore, hm?" He chuckled to himself. He took a drink of the liquid in his hand.

~...~

**Author's Note: If you wish to skip down to the next bolded script, please do. Mature themes ahead.**

If possible, Aerie was more put-out after talking to her father again than when she was babysitting her platoon in the bar. She angrily stalked out of the inn where the Marines were staying, snapping that she would be back later.

She stomped down the dark street, no real destination in mind. Really, anywhere away from the her infuriating subordinates and her superiors would be fine.

She suddenly stopped, realizing she had no idea where she was. She looked around herself at the lamplit street, trying to distinguish her surroundings in the dim light given by the street lamps. She rubbed her bare arms in the chilly evening air, cursing her stupidity in running off, alone, _again_, without a jacket.

A dark chuckle from the alley behind her made her freeze, golden eyes wide.

"Weeellll, what have we here?" A sleazy voice asked from directly behind her. "I wonder what a pretty little thing like you is doin' all by herself?"

Aerie didn't think; she reacted. She spun around, drawing the small blade she kept hidden in her sundress. She slashed the air, adding haki to the action like she had been trained. The man was faster, though, and dodged the slash.

"Whew, girl!" He laughed loudly. "You could hurt somebody swingin' that thing 'round like that!"

Aerie didn't respond, choosing to glare coldly and raise her blade. The man licked his lips and gave her a clear once-over.

"I do like 'em feisty," he rumbled. Aerie barely pushed down the urge to gag before he lunged forward.

Aerie danced out of the way and slashed the air again. This time, she managed to nick his face, just under his eye, before he turned his head to avoid the majority of the blow. He wiped the blood off his cheek with his thumb, examined it, then licked the digit clean.

She just barely managed to dodge a fist that came her way, returning it with a strong kick of her own, which he easily avoided. She frowned, refusing to panic, even though she was beginning to feel out skilled.

The man didn't seem troubled at all, a disgusting grin on his face. _He's enjoying this_, she realized.

Finally, a blow came to her temple that she wasn't fast enough to dodge. Black spots danced in front of her eyes as the man quickly took advantage of her daze to knock her to the ground. He straddled her hips and pinned her wrists to the ground with one hand.

Aerie immediately began to struggle, trying to throw him off her. The man only laughed and used his other hand to grab her throat.

"Now, darlin'," he said, leaning close to her face, allowing his rancid breath to wash over her, "there ain't no reason to fuss."

Aerie struggled to breath around the vice-like grip of his hand. To her distress, she realized the hand holding her neck was a shiny black. _Haki!_ Mentally cursing, her struggling increased. The man only laughed again, releasing her neck, allowing her to draw in the much-needed air.

However, he did not let her go. His hand moved down her chest to the area between her breasts. Aerie found panic washing over her and she let out a blood-curdling scream.

She was almost immediately backhanded across the face, leaving a bright red mark on her cheek. With a wicked grin, he used his free hand to tear the front of her dress.

Suddenly, the man above her went still. His eyes shot open wide, like he was in a state of disbelief. He coughed up blood onto Aerie's face, before he began to slump forward.

The man's fall was interrupted by someone else literally throwing his body off of Aerie and into the alley, landing with a heavy thud. The other person tossed away the knife in his hand, the blade Aerie had dropped when she was tackled. He effortlessly lifted her to her feet and brought her into his arms.

**End of mature-themed section**

Aerie let out a sob and wrapped her arms around her savior, fingers curling into his back. While she tried to get her breathing under control and tell herself _don't cry, don't cry, don't cry_, the person began rubbing her back in soothing circles and drew her in closer to his chest

"It's alright, yoi" his voice whispered beside her ear, "I've got you."

_I've heard that voice before_, she thought as she raised her head from his collar bone to look at his face. Golden irises met electric-blue, and, with a start, she recognized the one who had saved her.

Marco the Phoenix looked down at her face, genuine concern in his eyes. He brought a hand up to her cheek to gently turn her head, allowing him to get a better look at where she had been backhanded. He ran his thumb over it and frowned when she flinched.

"That's gonna leave a bruise," he muttered. "Looks like that'll be the only thing you'll have to walk away with, though. I mean, he didn't...?" He left the question hanging.

Aerie shook her head, still baffled it was he who saved her. She dropped her gaze, only to notice the tattered condition of her sundress.

Marco looked down, too, realizing at the same time the state of her attire. He released her momentarily to shrug off his unbuttoned shirt and drape it around her shoulders.

Aerie gratefully drew his shirt around herself, covering her exposed chest. She took a step back away from him.

Finally, she quietly asked, "Why did you save me?" She quickly added, "Not that I'm ungrateful, of course."

He tore his gaze away from hers and looked down the dark alley where he had tossed the man's dead body. "Because you needed it," he answered eventually. "There isn't anybody who deserves something like that, yoi." He scowled in disgust.

She was quiet again. Then, "I owe you an apology."

Marco raised an eyebrow in a silent question. She answered with, "I seriously misjudged you this afternoon. I was rude while you were trying to be friendly. I placed my Marine stereotypes on you, and you didn't deserve them. I'm sorry."

He offered a small smile. "No harm done." He tilted his head down the street. "C'mon, I'm sure you want to get back to your crew." Aerie nodded and they began walking to the inn in comfortable silence, arms barely touching.

After a couple minutes of walking, they reached the inn. Marco took her up the steps to the front door. Even outside, they could hear the noises of still-partying Marines in the foyer of the inn.

Aerie turned to face him as they came to a stop in front of the door. "Thank you," she said. "For everything."

Marco raised a hand and waved it off. "Don't mention it, yoi."

"No, really, thank you." She cut him off before he could reply again. "If you hadn't shown up, then, that man would have..." She shuddered and drew his shirt closer around herself, not trusting her ability to not break into hysterics by finishing that sentence. "You saved me; what could I possibly do to repay you?"

He mulled it over. He realized she didn't like being in someone else's debt, and would do anything to get out of it. Finally, he made a decision.

"Two things," he said. "First: next time we meet, whether it's on neutral territory or not, I want you to go out to dinner with me."

Aerie blinked. He could ask anything of her, and he asks her out to _dinner_? "Alright," she conceded. "What's the second thing?"

He grinned. "Your name. I just can't take a girl out to dinner without knowing her name, y'know?"

She chuckled and shook her head. "Aerie," she answered finally. "My name is Aerie."

His grin widened. "Well, I know these definitely weren't normal circumstances, but," he held out his hand, "it was a pleasure to meet you, Aerie."

She shook his hand, holding on to it for a moment longer than necessary. "Believe me, _Marco_, the pleasure is all mine."

Marco laughed richly. She released his hand and he walked down the steps. He tossed a wave over his shoulder to her.

Aerie smiled, opened the door, and went inside the inn.

* * *

**That was the longest one so far! Over 3,000 words! To be honest, this was also the hardest one to write. I had to walk away a couple times before I actually finished it. **

**Thanks for reading! And thanks to the people who have favorited, followed, and reviewed! Y'all are my favorites. :)**

**Much love,**

**~Batman**


	13. Bad Romance

**Title: Bad Romance**

**Genre: Hurt/Comfort, Friendship**

**Summary: Marco helps Aerie get over a bad breakup.**

**WARNING: There are mentions of nudity.**

* * *

Marco knocked on her door for the fifth time that morning, and still received no answer. He sighed and ran a hand through his short blond hair and stared at the barrier between one of his oldest friends and himself.

No one had seen hide nor hair of Tanaka Aerie in close to a week. The fact that this coincided with the breakup of her and her longtime boyfriend did not strike any of her friends as coincidence. Though while they all felt sympathy for her, they knew a week of solitude was crossing the line. This prompted her best friend and former roommate Eliza to call Marco, of all people, that morning and order him to walk to her apartment and see if she was still alive.

Marco knocked again. Still no answer. He took out his cell phone and called her. He could here the house phone ringing, but it went to her answering machine. He sent her a quick text:

_Aerie, I know you're in there. Come out and talk to me._

To his surprise, she actually answered.

_Go away._

_Ah, so you are alive. Where have you been?_

_I'm at home. Go away, Marco. I want to be alone._

_For a week? Just come out and talk to me. Please? Everyone thinks you're dead or something._

_Sounds like it's their problem, then. Go away. Please._

Marco scowled at the phone. Why did she have to be so stubborn? An idea came to him, then, and he turned and left the doorway.

~...~

Aerie sighed as she watched Marco walk back down the hallway of the apartment complex through the peephole in her door. Truthfully, she had wanted him to stay. She wanted to tell him why she had cut herself off from the world for a week. But she also didn't want to shove her personal problems on the man, even if he was one of her closest friends. She hadn't even responded to Eliza's texts and calls.

Miserably, she trudged back into her bedroom and flopped onto the messy bed. She hadn't done much in the past week besides sleep and lie on the bed. The last time she had eaten was the morning before, and she hadn't showered or changed clothes since the breakup. As a result, the room reeked strongly of her body odor.

A noise in the living room caused her to lift her head from the mattress. She must be hearing things, because it sounded a lot like a key being turned in the lock and the door being opened.

To her annoyance (but also some relief), she discovered she wasn't imagining things: someone really had opened the door to her apartment. That someone was now standing in the doorway of her room, gazing about the cluttered space with electric blue eyes. Finally, those eyes landed on her form on the bed.

Aerie, Marco decided, had definitely seen better days. Her hair, normally a dark brown, was a greasy mess on the top of her head. Her skin was pale and pasty. There were horrible, dark circles under her dull, gold eyes, and her clothes were severely wrinkled. There was also a wretched stench in the room, but Marco had enough tact to not mention it.

Aerie frowned in irritation. "I told you to go away," she told him sourly.

Marco frowned back. "Don't know why you bothered, yoi. You know I don't ever listen."

"Well, you should listen when someone tells you they want to be alone."

Marco didn't respond, opting instead to raise an eyebrow. He then walked to her closet and drawers, and began rifling through her clothes. He didn't need to ask where anything was, even her lingerie, because he had been in this apartment so many times he knew exactly where she placed everything.

"What are you doing?" She asked from her bed. Marco ignored her and went into the bathroom next door, carefully placing the clothes on the toilet. He walked back into her bedroom and gave her a look.

"Are we doing this the easy way or the hard way?" He asked. She replied with a glare. "Hard way it is, then." Crossing the room in two steps, he quickly wrapped an arm around her waist and slung her over his shoulder. Aerie let out a startled scream while struggling in his strong grip. For his part, Marco was very glad the bathroom was only a couple steps from her bedroom.

The blond set her down on her feet once inside the bathroom. He reached into the shower and turned it on, setting it at medium heat. When he turned back to her, she had crossed her arms and put a childish pout on her face.

"I'm not getting in," she told him. Marco had to try really hard to not roll his eyes and sigh in impatience.

"You're getting in even if I have to strip you naked and go in with you, yoi." His voice left no room for argument.

Aerie's face flushed a dark red. "You-you wouldn't."

"I would and I will. You need a shower." The two stared each other down for a solid minute. Finally, Aerie sighed and bowed her head.

"Fine... I'll get a shower." Marco nodded, satisfied, and left the bathroom, closing the door behind him. He stood still for a moment, listening to the rustle of fabric as she took her week-old clothing off, before strolling into the kitchen.

Humming to himself, he shifted through the contents of her fridge and cabinets. Some of the food was expired, so he threw it in the garbage. Finding some noodles and sauce, he set about preparing spaghetti for the two of them. Oh yes, he was staying. He needed to make sure she actually ate.

Marco put a pot of water on her stove to boil and went back into her bedroom. He stripped the sheets and blankets off her bed, cringing at the smell, and set them in a laundry basket to take down to the laundromat in the basement later. After searching for a few minutes, he found a spare set of sheets in a hall closet and remade the bed with them. (He also lit a couple scented candles in her room to clear the smell, not that he would tell Aerie his reasoning for doing so.)

Upon returning to the kitchen, he found the water nearly boiling over. He quickly put the dry noodles in the pot and set a timer for them to cook. With the noodles in the water, he located a saucepan and poured the red sauce into it. He lit a fire under the pan, and with that being accomplished, leaned against the counter and waited for the food to cook.

As soon as the timer went off, Marco grabbed a couple of potholders and a colander and moved the pot to the sink. He poured slowly, making sure to not burn himself with the hot water. He checked the temperature of the sauce, and finding it to be satisfactory, turned the fire off. Taking some plates out of a cupboard and some forks out of a drawer, he set the table in the kitchen.

"What are you doing?" A quiet voice asked from the doorway. Marco glanced up and saw Aerie standing there in clean clothes. However, her wet hair was unbrushed, something Marco vowed to change. Without answering he took her wrist and led her back to the bathroom and took a comb and gently pulled it through her long hair.

He finished with the comb and set in on the counter. He left his hands on her shoulders and grinned at her reflection. "There, would you look at that. There's that beautiful girl everyone loves."

Aerie frowned and turned around to look at him. "What are you doing?" She asked again.

"I made you dinner. Are you hungry?"

"That's not what I meant."

"It's spaghetti. Most of your food was expired, by the way."

"Marco-"

"It's going to get cold if you don't eat it, yoi." The blond crossed his arms. "And you will eat it. I'm not leaving until you do."

Aerie sighed, knowing it would be pointless to argue further. "You're impossible," she muttered. Marco waved her comment away with his hand and left the bathroom. Somewhat reluctantly, she followed him.

They ate in silence. Aerie kept her eyes fixed on the pasta, not the man sitting across the table from her. She didn't want him there. She didn't want his pity or his sympathy. Being alone was really the only thing she wanted.

_Then why did you let him stay?_ That annoying voice in the back of her head whispered. _He wouldn't have left even if I had insisted, she reasoned._

_Or you wanted him to stay._ Aerie shook her head. Impossible.

_Admit it, you wanted someone to come see you._ No, no she didn't. She didn't like the way he took the time to come see her, didn't like the way he cleaned her up and made her dinner, didn't like that he cared.

She couldn't stand the silence anymore. She slammed her fork on the table and stood, briefly surprising Marco. "_Why_ are you even _here_?"

He blinked and tilted his head. "What are you talking about, yoi?"

"You know what I meant, dammit," she growled. "What are you doing? I didn't ask you to come here, and...and...force me into taking a shower, changing my sheets, cooking for me..." Her voice trailed off and her glare intensified at his blank expression. "I don't need your help!"

A frown came to Marco's face and he crossed his arms. "Oh, really? No one's seen you in almost a week, and when I do come by, you're holed up in your room, you haven't eaten, and you haven't bathed. I wasn't going to just leave you like that!"

"Didn't you think that I wanted to be alone?"

"No, I didn't." He got to his feet and stood in front of her. "After what happened, it wouldn't make sense for you to be alone. I'm not stupid, Aerie, as much as you like to think I am. I know what you're going through, and-"

"No, you don't!" She took a deep breath. "No, you don't. You don't know what it was like for me and him. We weren't just any couple, we were a perfect match. We could have taken down the world together. I trusted him and told him everything. He knew more about me than my own father does. He was my best friend, my companion, my boyfriend...and then he wasn't." Her eyes softened and she looked away. "He was the world to me. All of my hopes, dreams...everything."

Marco stared, taken aback by her outburst. "Aerie-"

"Stop." Her eyes found his again. "I don't want your sympathy."

"Then what do you want?" He asked quietly, stepping forward again.

"I don't know," she mumbled. She pushed a hand through her damp hair. "I just... I feel like my whole world has been turned upside down, and I want it to be right again."

Marco stared at her impassively. Without warning, he closed the distance between them and wrapped his arms around her. Aerie gasped quietly as she was drawn close to the chest of the taller man. "W-wait, what are you-"

"I'm your friend, aren't I?" He cut her off this time. She managed to nod against his chest. "So just shut up and let me take care of you."

That did it. The dam Aerie had constructed had finally broke and her eyes spilled over with tears. She held the front of his shirt in her fists and cried the tears that had been waiting to fall all week.

Marco smiled softly. "There now, it's alright. I'm here for you, yoi."

This went on for several minutes before she finally calmed down. Somewhat reluctantly, she released her grip on his shirt and back away, furiously wiping at her face with her sleeve. "Thank you," she murmured.

His grin returned. "Anything for a friend."

She shifted her feet and met his gaze uncertainly. "Marco?"

"Yeah, Aerie?"

"Could..could you stay here tonight? Just this once?"

He chuckled and reached for her hand, giving it a reassuring squeeze. "Of course."

* * *

**WAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH I'M SO SOOOOOORRRRREEEEEEEEE! It's been soo long since I've updated, well, anything. I posted some new stuff to my profile, so you should read it as I am too lazy to write it all out again.**

**Whew, what a one-shot! Waayy more angsty than I originally planned, but hey. Not too shabby. (Confession: I have never been in a relationship before, so let me know if I wrote this breakup right.)**

**Write a review, and favorite and follow the cuss out of this! Until next time!**

**~Batman**


	14. Firsts

**Title: Firsts**

**Genre: Family**

**Summary: Out of all the firsts for Marco, some stand out more than others.**

* * *

Marco remembered the first time his Pops told him he loved him. It was the first kind of fatherly affection he had ever received, and he nearly cried. However, he merely held back the tears and grinned at his adopted father. He was eleven. Marco was almost forty-three when he realized just what love meant to the older man.

He remembered the first time he told a woman he loved her. It was after one of their numerous arguments. They had both said some stupid things, more so than usual, and neither let up on the insult game. Finally, she had left the room in a blaze of fury, storming outside into a raging rainstorm. Immediately feeling guilty, he followed her, confessed his emotions, and kissed her deeply in the rain. He came to marry her one day. That was also one of the first times he remembered feeling especially nervous.

However, there was one first that stood out the most to Marco, and that was the day he held his newborn child for the first time. After sitting through hours of tense and excruciating labor, easing his wife's pains to the best of his abilities, their little one was brought into the world. The nurse present quickly snatched up the child (_gently_, under Marco's stern gaze), took her from the room, and performed customary checkups. The child was wrapped in a blanket and a tiny pink cap was placed on her head. The nurse, his wife's closest friend, proudly presented the baby to her anxious (and slightly impatient) father.

Marco could only stare in awe and wonder at his little angel, anxiety melting away like snow in summer. She was completely perfect in every way he could imagine. A cute, button nose adorned her roundish face; two tiny ears sat on either side of her head; two eyes were shut tight; a mouth set in a firm line; and a tiny hand curled around the edge of the blanket. He gently brushed his fingertips over her knuckles, marveling at the size and color of her fingers compared to his long, tanned digits.

He was brought out of his state by a soft chuckle. His blue eyes left his child's face to gaze at her mother, who was gently smiling. "How is she?" She asked.

He went back to staring at the baby in his arms. "She's so small," he answered in a whisper. He added after a moment, "And so perfect."

Just then, the babe let out a yawn, opening her mouth to reveal two rows of red gums and a tiny pink tongue. Marco let out a breath he hadn't realized he had been holding.

His wife chuckled again and held out her arms. "Let me see her," she requested quietly.

Somewhat reluctantly, he crossed the room to pass the baby into her mother's waiting arms. She smiled softly and nuzzled the child into her breast, humming gently. Marco took a seat on the edge of the infirmary bed, where the child was in plain sight.

The baby yawned again and blearily opened her eyes. Marco took in a soft breath when he noticed they were the same shade of blue as his own irises, with streaks of gold running through them. The girl's gaze met her mother's first, then slowly moved to meet his. Upon meeting his eyes, she stretched her mouth into a wide, toothless smile. Marco couldn't help but grin back, almost goofily. She looked back at her mother and smiled wider.

Marco reached out and brushed her cheek with a calloused finger. The babe let out a peal of laughter and reached her chubby hand for the digit. Her tiny fingers closed around his in a surprisingly strong grip. She then brought the finger to her mouth and closed her lips around it. She seemed disappointed, though, when she sucked on it and nothing happened. The finger was released and she frowned at him before yawning again.

Blue eyes closed sleepily and the child snuggled closer to her mother's warmth. She let out one sigh and fell asleep. Her mother sighed, too, and smiled fondly at the babe in her arms. Marco brushed the hair out of her face and leaned forward to kiss her temple.

A quiet knock at the door caught their attention, followed by the door opening slowly. Marco sat up a little straighter as Jozu, his first mate, poked his head through the doorway.

"Sorry to disturb you, Marco," the giant man said. His tone did sound apologetic, even if his face remained impassive. "But we need you on deck. There's a storm coming."

The blond nodded and Jozu glanced at the child's mother. His eyes softened slightly as he asked, "How are you feeling, Aerie?"

"Much better, thank you." Aerie smiled gently.

Jozu nodded at the two and retracted his head from the doorway. Marco turned to look at his wife, an apology already on his lips, but she beat him by saying, "Go. We'll be here when you get back." She smiled at him, and then their child.

He smiled, kissed her again, and left the room. Walking down the hall towards the deck, Marco felt for the first time in a long time that everything was going to be alright.

* * *

**Annnnnnnd just when you thought I had given up the writing business for good, I make an attempted triumphant return with this fluffy thing. Didn't see that one coming, did you?**

**You know what to do!**

**~Batman**


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